5 tips for a cycling culture in your organisation

Why not offer a bicycle plan to your employees? That will immediately make you a lot more attractive as an employer! As an employer, a bicycle plan is completely budget neutral, but provides tax benefits for your employees. What can you do as an employer to take things one step further and ensure that your employees deliberately choose to get on their bicycle when commuting? Our experts have put together 5 tips just for you. 

#1 Provide a good cycling infrastructure

A lease bicycle can sometimes be expensive, so people will definitely prefer to leave it somewhere safe. Providing a bicycle storage area where people can lock their bicycles at or near your organisation's premises is therefore key if your aim is to create a true cycling culture. Ideally, it should be covered. But there's no need to worry, as investments in cycling infrastructure are tax-deductible. You can read all about this in our blog: ‘Sustainable business with government support’.

Here is a list of other types of cycling infrastructure that cyclists will appreciate:

• Charging points
• Changing rooms
• Showers
• Drying rooms or a place where they can hang their clothes up to dry
• A service station

Like to find out more about good infrastructure for cyclists? If so, be sure to check out our blog entitled ‘5 tips for a good cycling infrastructure’  

#2 Make your bicycle policy financially attractive

You'll cycle more often on a high-quality bicycle that suits your needs. After all, no-one will enjoy pedalling up a sweat on their way to work or cycling home with shopping on their handlebars. Unfortunately, however, high-quality bicycles do not come cheap.

As far as your employees are concerned, that is precisely what makes bicycle leasing so attractive, because an expensive bicycle suddenly becomes up to 40% cheaper thanks to salary sacrifice. From one moment to the next, a powerful speed pedelec or handy cargo bicycle is now within your employees' budget. 

And thanks to a bicycle allowance, your employees can even earn part of the lease price back. We're therefore not exaggerating when we say that bicycle leasing is genuinely a great gift for your employees. And for you as an employer, it's completely budget neutral, so why wait any longer? 

Want to learn more about what bicycle leasing will cost you as an employer? If so, read: ‘What will bicycle leasing cost you as an employer?’ 

#3 Make bicycles more visible

Not by wrapping them in a fluorescent colour, though that in itself isn't such a bad idea, but by providing cycling clothes with your company's logo, by organising after-work rides or by setting up a cycling club. Initiatives like these will give people who cycle a reason to get together and their enthusiasm for cycling will convince other people in turn. 

 In many cases, colleagues themselves are the best ambassadors of bicycle leasing, as they recommend it to each other. - David, talent coach at vdk bank

#4 Reward employees who cycle to work

Has the weather been bleak and rainy for weeks? If so, treat cyclists to a heart-warming winter breakfast. And if it's high summer and the temperatures are rising, rustle up a refreshing surprise when they arrive at work, such as a nice smoothie or a juicy slice of watermelon. That will certainly make your cyclists a bit more motivated and appreciated! And feel-good moments like these are also enticing to those who aren't yet coming to work by bicycle! 

#5 Take to the saddle yourself

Cycling is contagious! As a management board or HR director, you can make a major difference yourself. Simply get on your bicycle and set a good example. And let everyone see that cycling is an excellent mobility solution when commuting. That way, you can do your bit to kick off what will hopefully become a positive trend!